Home to an Empty House and a Book Sale Shocker!

I suppose one day it will be sad to come home and find no husband or kids but that day is not today.



I see from the caller ID that they took a call at 10:30 this morning from our friends from Oxford (UK) who are visiting their place in the vicinity of the Last House for the month of August. We knew they were coming and we have all been looking forward to seeing them. I surmise an invitation was delivered and my lot left in a hurry to accept; disregarding my entreaties/warnings/threats delivered as a I left for work this morning that the toys be off the floor and laundry put away before I got home. Toys everywhere. Laundry wet in the washer and unfolded in a heap on the other wing chair. I am, however, leaving everything as is. If they were here, I would be forced into action and correction. As is, I can rest among the mess. I woke up at 4:45 this AM and thought, why not just stay up? You know how that goes. You just feel awake and there are so many things to do. You know you will pay later in the day, but the place is quiet and you have it to yourself. I had some bills to pay and I wanted to view that DVD I owe back to the library. It also turned out that someone had bought one of my ebay books so I had a package to prepare. I traded emails with my friend Annmarie, who also has two kids and who was also up and an ungodly hour to enjoy a productive pre-dawn.

I didn't write the checks I swore to myself I would do first thing; I did, however, wash the kitchen floor on my hands and knees by 5 AM; even before I had coffee. Then I watched Raise the Red Lantern on my computer with the headphones. I liked it, though feeling the press of time, I had to speed through a little bit at the last. It's a regular wallow in pre-communist China, beautifully photographed and costumed and putting me in the mood for the major dose of all things Chinese we are all going to get at the end of the week.

Then, everyone got up. I showered and dressed; delivered cereal and warnings about a messy house, and went off to work (forgetting to put Raise the Red Lantern and the other DVD that was due today back into the car, naturally).

So, I thought I would grab a quick snooze now, sans famille. But can you believe that even as I type this they have all just pulled up to the door? (Not visiting with the Brits but just at the grocery store and library.)

Oy.

So, here's the book sale shocker. I stopped again at the library sale in Stowe on the way home today and got two more books. Nothing too special. The librarian told me as I was paying (I know her from the gym) that when this sale is over on August 14, the books go to be recycled i.e., trashed. I thought they put them in the basement for another year. Really, a shonda as my Yiddishe friends would say.